A Watcher's Son 1, Meeting
by Alec Star
Summary: After a certain redhead walks into the Magic Box, Giles's life will never be the same. Crossover with The Sentinel.
1. Chapter 1: My Son's Not a Watcher

**_Disclaimers:_** I don't own the characters, I don't own the concepts, I make no money, I make no sense and i get no sleep but on a positive note I do love feedback (so please review)

**_Warning/comment:_** This is a series I wrote between one and two years ago, before I really started posting here at and it has not really been revised since then, so there may be a few mistakes here and there, sorry about that.

The story is complete, there are 52 chapters to this thing, split into five parts with an interlude between parts one and two. I will be posting every other day.

A fair warning, in the original version I never made the POV of each chapter explicit and I'm not about to change that now so you are going to have to guess (that's half the fun anyway, as far as I'm concerned).

This is obviously a crossover.

* * *

**_A Watcher's Son  
Part 1: Meeting  
Chapter 1: My Son's Not a Watcher_**

I always said that if I ever had a son he would be free to choose his path, that he would not be forced to follow the family tradition, that he would not be forced to become a Watcher. I knew those were abstract dreams. I knew from the very beginning that I was meant to have only one child, one daughter, _my_ slayer... and I always knew I was meant to bury her someday.

Funny how wrong a man can be. Now I'm sitting on a plane headed north trying to figure out what I'll do once I land and if I were to be honest with myself I'd have to admit that I'm terrified. I booked this flight on impulse, knowing that if I stopped to think about what I was going to do I'd lose my nerve. Vampires and demons I can handle, a coming apocalypse is not a problem, but this...

It was less than three weeks ago that I received one of the biggest shocks of my life while I was at the Magic Box. I saw a red headed woman walk in. She looked familiar but I couldn't quite place her, not at first. She had come in looking for some candles... it wasn't until I heard her voice that I recognized her and it was even longer before she recognized me. It's hard to say who was more surprised. We hadn't seen each other in over thirty years and I couldn't help but notice that she was still as beautiful as she was at sixteen, perhaps even more so... time has been kind to her.

When we first met she was hitchhiking through Europe, trying to find herself, exploring the world and everything it had to offer. I was a bookish kid who was just beginning to resent his destiny and she was a free spirit. I envied that, it was a freedom I had never known, a freedom I thought I would never know. She was everything I wanted to be and when she called I followed. We only had a couple of days and we both knew it. She was my first love, silly as it sounds. Perhaps that's why I could recognize her over thirty years later when she came into my shop.

We spent hours talking, trying to share a lifetime over a cup of tea, and I hated my secrets more than ever. I hated being reduced to half truths, as I almost always am. She was still as open as I remembered her... or at least she was until she mentioned her son. After that she suddenly clamped up. I wondered about that since it was so completely out of character but I decided not to push it. What we shared had been special for me but after so many years I knew I didn't have the right to ask any questions. It was a wonderful afternoon, and then we parted ways promising to stay in touch yet knowing that we wouldn't.

I don't know what happened then, what made me ask for Willow's help. Perhaps I've spent too many years chasing mysteries to let one get away, perhaps it was some sort of instinct, but for some reason I wanted to know more about Naomi's son and I knew the answers would not be in my dusty volumes but in that infernal machine. It took Willow less than ten minutes to provide me with an answer and when she did she turned my whole world upside down. I could see what it was that Naomi hadn't wanted me to know, what she had kept from me. I may be more comfortable with demons than with numbers but I can count and I knew what her son's date of birth meant.

It took me a couple of days to work through my confusion and my sense of betrayal enough to feel happy about it, even longer to go back to Willow and ask her to find out everything she could about one Blair Sandburg. I could see she thought it was an odd request, but she didn't ask any questions and she did as she was told. What she came up with was a puzzle. Blair had been a child prodigy, then his career was destroyed when he confessed to academic fraud and finally he had joined the police force where he was working as a detective. There were a couple of things about that story that just didn't add up. First of all his background made the whole notion of academic fraud seem absurd. He was obviously a young man who didn't need to falsify his dissertation, but what I found most disturbing was how could a self confessed fraud go on to become a successful detective in a matter of months. Upon closer scrutiny I found my answers... the fraudulent paper had dealt with tribal guardians, sentinels as some call them. Willow had even managed to get me a copy of that paper and as a Watcher I knew one thing: Every word in that paper was true, so why admit to a non-existent fraud? A photograph of Blair and his partner supplied by a local newspaper was all the explanation I needed.

Blair is a guide, a shaman. He watches over a protector of mankind, a champion, just like I do. He guides him in his fight, just like I do. He deals with mystical forces, just like I do. My son's not a Watcher and yet --in his own, special way-- he is.

* * *

**_Author's notes:_** In case anyone is interested, I'm also posting a new BtVS/SG-1 crossover to the SG-1 section called **_In the Genes_**. The story id for that one is: 2645891.

Alec


	2. Chapter 2: First Impressions

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 2: First Impressions

I first see the man standing in front of our building when we are still a couple of blocks away and I know, somehow, that he is waiting for us. At first glance he appears almost totally harmless. He is fairly tall, probably approaching fifty and has a scholarly air about him. He appears harmless but looks can be deceiving and his stance indicates a trained fighter, and a strong one at that. Even being almost ten years younger --and having body build on my side-- I'm not sure I can take him. Even though I have no indications that his intentions are hostile, as we step out of the truck I place myself between Blair and the stranger.

As soon as he sees us he comes to us. He seems nervous but for some reason I almost trust him. I have never seen him before --of that I am certain-- and yet he feels oddly familiar. He stutteringly introduces himself and I am not terribly surprised to hear a British accent or to discover that he knows our names. Even though I don't feel threatened by him I can barely keep myself from groaning when I hear Blair invite him in... I'm still trying to figure out just how many kidnappings will it take to get my partner to stop being so trusting.

* * *

Jim's glaring at me for inviting a stranger into our home... nothing new there. I know he worries and I'm the first one to admit that I can't explain why I decided to ask this guy --Mr. Giles-- to join us but I'm curious about him. Maybe it's because he sort of reminds me of some of my old teachers. I know why I gave up that life and if I had to do it all over again I would, but I still miss it. Most of my former colleagues avoid me like the plague and even though I've managed to sneak into a couple of free outreach conferences without being recognized, that's not enough. Most of those lectures are aimed, at best, at an undergrad audience and even when the opportunity presents itself I can't afford to ask any questions. I am an outcast and I know it. I think that's why I'm so eager to get to know this Mr. Giles... his whole demeanor doesn't scream COP and I seriously doubt he's an ax murderer.

What I don't understand is what has Jim so on edge. I know he is somewhat paranoid as a matter of principle and I'm even willing to admit that past experience may justify such an attitude, but there's nothing remotely threatening about Mr. Giles. If anything he looks nervous and anxious, perhaps even somewhat frightened. That's making me nervous as well. I know he didn't turn up on our doorstep because of some coincidence or because he liked the view. He came here looking for us for some reason so I offer him a cup of tea and I prepare to hear what he has to say.

* * *

Not for the first time I find myself wondering what it would take for people in this country to learn the meaning of the word 'tea'. Being british I always get asked if I want a cup of tea, and then I'm given a choice between mint, almonds, strawberries, kiwis and peaches... all of them fine choices if I were looking for some sort of dessert, but totally unrelated to tea. I'm also wondering, this time truly for the first time, why on earth am I thinking about tea in my first meeting with my son. I guess it's because tea is safe. Even though I learned about my son's existence a couple of weeks ago it has suddenly become real and I'm struggling to come to terms with that sudden sense of reality.

I'm also watching how my hosts interact with each other. One of them is my son, the other a tribal guardian. After more than four years working with a slayer on top of a hellmouth nothing should surprise me, but this is different from anything I've ever seen. Even among the Watchers tribal guardians sometimes tend to be dismissed as myths. The thing is that I know enough about how this world works to have lost all belief in the existence of coincidences, and the fact that my son is acting as the Shaman of a tribal guardian is too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence. I suspect that somehow these two will end up playing some sort of role in our lives and I hate it. Even though he is not a child I wish I could protect my son from the darker forces that have been vying for control of our world since the beginning of time, and yet I know I can't. If he has a role to play he will have no choice but to play it. That's one lesson I learned in the most painful of ways when Buffy confronted the Master... but if Blair has a role to play it's not now, it's sometime in a hopefully distant future. Right now I'm confronted with an even more troubling prospect: I have to find a way to tell him who I am.


	3. Chapter 3: Familiar Strangers

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1  
_**  
**_Additional author's note_**: I forgot to mention that Buffy-wise this part of the story takes place shortly after the episode _Forever_ (in other words, this takes place shortly after Joyce's funeral).

* * *

Chapter 3:Familiar Strangers

"I met your mother a long time ago." I begin, not knowing what else to say. The man sitting in front of me is my son, but he is also a stranger.

"Is she OK? Did something happen to Naomi?"

He is almost panicking and I immediately regret my choice of words. I never wanted him to get worried... I hadn't even thought about that so I rush to reassure him. "She's fine. She doesn't even know I'm here."

"Then why are you here?"

"God, this is hard." I mutter... and it is, I feel like I'm trying to make my way across a mine field.

"Let's try a different question then. Just who are you and how did you meet my mother?"

"That's two questions. Fine, as I said my name is Rupert Giles and I've been living in Sunnydale for a few years. I used to work as a librarian... now I own a magic shop." He looks surprised when he hears that. For some reason people tend to have a hard time trying to picture me as the owner of a magic shop. Then I go on. "About three weeks ago Naomi came into the Magic Box looking for some candles..."

"Three weeks ago? Didn't you say you'd met her a long time ago?"

"I first met her when she was hitchhiking through Europe over thirty years ago, I hadn't seen her since." I watch for their reactions. Blair seems to be trying to place what I've said in the context of his mother's life but I suspect that his partner already knows what I'm getting to... and his eyes are telling me that if I hurt his Shaman I'm going to regret it.

"So you ran into each other a couple of weeks ago. That still doesn't tell me why you are here."

"Chief, perhaps it would be better to ask him exactly what he means when he says 'over thirty years ago'." His guardian interrupts, and then I see the exact moment in which the relevance of that question registers in Blair's mind.

I take a deep breath and say, "About thirty two and a half years ago, to be accurate."

"And you suspect you may be my father."

"I suspected it when I first saw your birth date, yes, now I'm all but certain. If there are some tests you feel are necessary, I'll be happy to oblige but I can just as well do without them."

"Why?" I can see that he is doing his best not to believe me. I smile before going on.

"It's hard to explain. Some of the things I found out about you, and then there is also something about the way you feel... I'm not explaining this properly. Now that I'm here I just know it."

"So how did you find me?" He says, apparently satisfied with my rather poor answer.

"I asked a friend of mine to look you up."

"A friend of yours?" He asks with suspicion.

"She's almost like a daughter to me... I don't get along with computers but Willow, that's her name, can get them to do pretty much anything. She said it wasn't too difficult."

"She must be pretty good if she could provide you with our address. It's unlisted for a reason."

"Yes, well, let's just say that's never stopped her before and leave it at that." He may be my son but he is also a detective and I'm not willing to endanger Willow.

"She's a hacker." It's a statement, not a question.

"Maybe."

"So how much did she find out?"

"Enough, I know where and when you were born, that your father is listed as unknown, though going by Naomi's reaction when I wanted to know more about her son I can assume that she either knows or suspects it's me. I know you used to travel a lot, that you were accepted by Rainier when you were just sixteen and I know what happened after that."

"In other words you know I'm a fraud, right? And you're still here?" I can see that he's trying to push me away, to test me.

"I'm the first one to admit that I don't know nearly as much about you as I would like to, but I do know one thing: You are most definitely not a fraud."

"I thought your friend..." He says in almost total disbelief. I can see he is worried, very worried... and I understand. I may be his father but he has a higher duty now. He sees me as a threat and I rush to reassure him.

"I know you claimed to be a fraud which is something entirely different. Blair, you forget I own a magic shop. I'm aware of just how many things happen in this world that science can't explain and I also know there are things that science shouldn't try to explain. You did the right thing but you can't tell me tribal guardians aren't real. I do know better than that."

"Tribal guardians?"

"It's just a different term for 'sentinels', one I'm more familiar with."

"How familiar are you with the concept?"

"Up until I ran into Naomi I would have said that I knew all I was likely to need to know about them, they are incredibly rare. Now that I've met one... I could probably use some additional research. The problem is I only have about a dozen books or so on that particular subject."

"A dozen books? Man, so far I've only had access to Burton. You have other sources?" The mere mention of the word 'books' has him almost salivating and I can't keep a smile off my face... if I had any lingering doubts they are gone now.

"Ah, Burton. That man caused so much trouble. Couldn't understand that there are things best left in the shadows. I'll get you that material... or maybe you could come down and visit sometime if it's not too much trouble. If you don't want to I'll send you the books as soon as I get back, that's not a problem. It's just that I'd like a chance to get to know you better and I think the children would like to meet you. Both of you." I know I'm babbling almost as much as Willow at her worst but I can't help it. I want him to say yes, I really do, but I don't want to put any pressure on him. I sought him out without giving him a say on the matter. I'm aware that he may not want any sort of relationship with me and I remind myself that I must be willing to respect that.

"The children? You have children?" He looks excited by that prospect and I allow myself to hope for a moment. He seems to like the idea of a family but I know I have to dash his hopes.

"No, sorry. Actually you won't be getting much of a family from me. I was an only child, my parents passed away years ago and I'm single, however I was kind of adopted by a group of children when I was working as a high school librarian..."

"And Willow is one of them, right?" He interrupts, putting the pieces together.

"Yes, there's Willow, Buffy, Xander, Dawn, Tara and maybe Anya and Spike. They are an interesting lot, though they can be a bit much at times." I say shaking my head at the memory of some of their antics.

"So I get seven younger sort-of-siblings."

"Only five actually, Anya and Spike are a older. It's... complicated."

"Complicated?" He asks.

"It's a long story. Anyway, Dawn's the youngest, she's Buffy's little sister and she's only fourteen. Buffy is, well, she's Buffy..."

"What kind of a name is that?"

"You don't know how often I have asked myself that same question, but it suits her somehow. Anyway, then there's Xander. He is a good boy --man now-- kind and loyal. Willow is incredibly bright and talented. Tara is her girlfriend..."

"And then there's Anya and Spike who are complicated and make you nervous just by thinking about them, right?" He interrupts me again and I can tell that he is almost as bad as Buffy when he is feeling inpatient.

"Not quite, but close. It's not my story to tell."

"I guess I can understand that."

"I meant it when I said I'd like you to come to Sunnydale sometime."

"We will, but for now how long can you stay?" And it sounds like he actually wants me to stick around for a while.

"Only until tomorrow, I'm afraid. Things are a little difficult right now and I don't want to be away for too long." I say with a sigh.

"Is everything OK?"

"Not exactly, but there's not much anyone can do. That's one of the reasons I had to wait a couple of weeks before I could come."

"What happened?"

"Well, it's not like you won't find out if you come to Sunnydale. Buffy's mother passed away two weeks ago. She found her dead on the couch and her father didn't even bother to show up for the funeral." I try to keep my anger in check at that memory but --as usual-- I fail miserably... if only I could get my hands on Hank Summers... but then again, if he actually cared he could try and take Dawn away from us, and with Glory looking for her that would be disastrous. I bring myself out of my reverie and I continue. "It's been rough on her, and then she also has to take care of Dawn. I wanted to make sure they'd be fine before coming but..."

"But you won't feel comfortable knowing that they are alone. I understand. They need you now and there will be time for us to get to know each other later."

And something in the way he says it makes it finally sink in. As unexpected as our encounter was for him, he is willing to give me a chance.


	4. Chapter 4: Old Eyes

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 4: Old Eyes

Getting Simon to give us some time to go to Sunnydale was remarkably easy. As soon as I explained to him about my father's unexpected visit he told us to work until Friday, clear our pending cases and then take the following week off. He even volunteered to reschedule other detectives so that we could get two consecutive weekends, and so almost before I could realize what was happening I found myself sitting on a flight to LA with Jim by my side. I have to admit that I am nervous. Meeting my father for the first time was a huge surprise, but because it was a surprise I didn't really have the time to give it much thought. Even though it has been less than a week since that visit, things are completely different now. Everything is so confusing and I don't even know what am I supposed to call him. Calling him father or dad sounds just too strange, Mr. Giles is way too formal and there's no way I'm calling him Rupert. Maybe I'll settle for calling him Giles, it seems like everyone else does. 

That's the other thing I'm nervous about. I'm usually pretty confident when it comes to meeting new people but this time I'm afraid. For all intents and purposes the people we are about to meet this week are my father's family... maybe not by blood but I could hear it in his voice whenever he mentioned them. They are his children and that means they are my siblings. That may be a positive change, from what he told us their ages range from fourteen to twenty, with the exception of Anya and Spike whom he merely described as 'older'... so maybe for once I'll get to be the protector rather than the protectee. I'm looking forward to that. Really, after all these years Simon and the others should have gotten tired of calling me 'kid' but it doesn't look like that's going to happen in this lifetime so I may as well take advantage of this opportunity.

Giles meets us at the airport... and in spite of my best efforts calling him that still sounds off somehow. We had intended to rent a car and drive ourselves out to Sunnydale but he insisted on meeting us in LA. I can see that he is worried about something, and while he does admit that he hasn't told 'the children' about me --that he didn't know how-- I know that's only part of the truth, not the whole truth. There is something else but I am sure he doesn't mean us any harm... if anything I suspect he may be trying to protect us. From what, I don't know.

As we approach Sunnydale I start feeling somewhat on edge. There's something in the air and I don't like it. I may be a detective but this is one idyllic little town in which I wouldn't want to find myself outdoors after dark. I turn to Jim and I realize that he senses it too. I try to define just what it is that I'm feeling, to identify it, but I can't. If I had to use a word to describe it, it would probably be 'evil'. I notice Giles is watching us and I realize that whatever it is we are feeling it is somehow connected to those secrets I know he is keeping.

When we finally arrive in Sunnydale Giles takes us straight to the magic shop. I'm curious about that place if only because it seems like such a contradiction that he would own it. It's an interesting place, pleasant and I'm surprised by the number of books I can see on the shelves. He said he used to be a librarian but it seems like when he switched jobs he took his whole library with him. I notice six young people sitting at a table, and my father doesn't seem particularly surprised to see that 'his children' are all waiting for us there, well, except for Spike who they say will drop by later.

I had been thinking about my father's young friends for hours, but nothing could have prepared me for what I see when I first meet them. They are nothing like I had expected them to be. Their bodies may be young but their eyes are not, even though they are good at hiding it. They have the eyes of people who have seen and done too much and it saddens me. They almost remind me of some veteran cops who have seen more than their share of carnage... I've noticed that there is a difference between the eyes of cops and the eyes of soldiers. It's subtle but it's there. Soldiers are used to large scale massacres, but because of their scope those tend to be somewhat numbing... impersonal. The horrors we confront as detectives are different, more personal and insidious. Our victims have names, families, stories and it is our duty to comb through that information to find a reason, an explanation that can possibly lead us to the one responsible... and so we lie to ourselves about checking our humanity at the door. For a soldier a corpse is a corpse, for a cop it must remain a person to a certain degree. That taint --that sorrow-- I've seen in the eyes of so many of my colleagues is a look that does not belong in the faces of children, and yet I can see it in all of them.

But in spite of what I can see in all of their eyes it's what I see when I look at the youngest girl, Dawn, that takes my breath away. I close my eyes for a moment, almost sure that they are playing tricks on me but when I open them again the illusion is still there, still real. She looks and sounds like any other fourteen year old girl I've ever met, maybe even worse than some, but there is something about her, an otherworldly green glow that seems to surround it... no... not it, her. She's a girl and yet a part of me knows she's not. She's something else, different and incredibly ancient. I can feel it. I'm surprised Jim hasn't said anything about it. I mention it, sentinel soft, and before I know it I am pinned against the wall. I realize with a growing sense of deja-vu that I'm being dangled a couple of inches above the ground and I find myself looking into Buffy's furious eyes.


	5. Chapter 5: Confrontations

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 5: Confrontations

I react before I can even think about it. I know Giles said this guy's a friend of his but knowing Ethan that's not all that reassuring, not to mention that all the fidgeting Giles has been doing this past few days whenever he mentions this 'Blair' character is enough for me to know that he is not exactly the friend Giles claims him to be. The truth is that I don't know what's going on here but I do know that up until he took off last week Giles had never even mentioned him before and now it seems like he's all he talks about, so when the guy says something about a green glow surrounding Dawn I just lose it. There is too much at stake and I am determined to do whatever it takes to get myself some answers.

I am aware that the big guy is moving, approaching, but I have no trouble keeping track of him and I refuse to let go. Blair's friend is big and strong... for a human... and if I were to be intimidated by humans I wouldn't have lasted a week on the hellmouth. Besides I know all he sees is a tiny slip of a girl. I have been underestimated so many times it's not even funny.

* * *

This is not how I expected this encounter to unfold, but I should have. I know Dawn is they Key and I know Blair is a shaman and I should have known that the shaman would see past the illusion and into the essence of the Key. Of course the fact that Buffy just doesn't take kindly to anything she perceives as a threat to Dawn, especially now, is not exactly helping matters. I'm trying to think of a way to defuse the situation without anyone actually getting killed in the process but it's not going to be easy. I have Buffy ready to kill Blair because she sees him as a threat to Dawn and Jim ready to kill Buffy because he sees her as a threat to Blair. In other words I have two champions fighting over a shaman's life and to make matters worse said shaman just happens to be my son. I try to find some comfort on the certainty that there's no way Jim can actually hurt Buffy and on the knowledge that Buffy doesn't kill humans but the situation is troubling to say the least.

Out of habit I focus my attention on my slayer, I don't know either Jim or Blair well enough to gauge their moods but I do know Buffy. She is obviously upset and she has basically reverted to her primal slayer mode. She's questioning Blair but she's not giving him a chance to answer. At least Blair seems to be as calm as can be expected under the circumstances... in fact he seems to be taking the whole thing almost too well. I know I have to do something and there's really just one course of action I can follow so I blurt out the one thing I'm sure will get Buffy to release her hold on Blair. I tell her that he is my son and it works. She drops him immediately and before I know it she's glaring at me.

As I said, this is not how I expected this encounter to unfold.

* * *

Did Giles just say that this guy's his son? Since when?... OK, I guess that's a dumb question but I **_know_** Giles doesn't have a son. He would have said something before now, of course I'm not one to talk. If I could wake up one morning with an annoying fourteen year old brat of a sister after a lifetime as an only child, I guess it would be possible for Giles to wake up one morning and find out he has a... OK, you know you've been living on top of a hellmouth for too long when the sudden appearance of non-existing people in your life becomes routine. I turn to my watcher and demand an explanation. I mean, I'm the slayer and as such I should be entitled to at least _some_ answers.

I am relieved to hear that Giles came into his son the natural way, he just didn't know about it until a couple of weeks ago. I guess that explains the sudden trip last week and why he has been so obsessed with this guy ever since he came back. I get that, but there are still some things I'd like to know, like how come Blair knows Dawn's the Key. He may be Giles's son but there's no way he would have told him about that when they've just met, besides he said he could _see_ a green glow surrounding her and if he can see it someone else might be able to do it too... and I don't mean just crazy people.

* * *

I'm trying to figure out what just happened here. First of all, while Sandburg's not particularly tall it shouldn't have been possible for a girl who's five feet three on a tall day to lift him like a rag doll and pin him against a wall like that, second she moved too fast --way too fast-- and finally, how could she possibly have heard what Blair said to me in the first place? I remember that Blair once told me that he had hundreds of documented cases of people with one or two hyperactive senses, and I guess the theory that Buffy could possibly have a heightened sense of hearing could explain how she heard what Blair said to me. The problem is that such a theory does nothing to explain how she managed to do what she did, it does nothing to explain her sister's green glow and it does nothing to explain why she panicked when it was mentioned... nor does it explain why, when she repeated Blair's words, everyone else mirrored her reaction. All the people in the room reacted in a similar fashion, even Giles, I could hear it in their heartbeats. Whatever's going on here they are all part of it.

I'm still trying to make sense out of what's happening when the door opens and another person comes in... I'm guessing he would be the one known as Spike, seeing how everyone else is here. He does look a little older than the children, but not much, however I can tell that there's something strange about him, something that seems to be off somehow, something that makes me nervous beyond his clichéd attempts at a bad-boy image. I try to pinpoint what it is and then it's my turn to panic. I struggle to keep from zoning as I realize that, while I can see him moving and I can hear his voice, I can't hear his heartbeat.


	6. Chapter 6: Revelations

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 6: Revelations

I focus on Jim almost by instinct. He is staring at the guy who just walked in and I can tell there's something wrong. I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to ground him and then I hear him mutter "His heart's not beating, Chief." As soon as those words are uttered Buffy turns her attention back to us... I'm really not looking forward to getting reacquainted with that wall, though by the look in her eyes I suspect that Jim is now her intended target. I place myself between them and I turn to Giles for help. In a gesture that mirrors my own he places a hand on Buffy's shoulder and the standoff is momentarily broken, however I am aware that this is just a temporary truce. We all have our secrets here, that much is obvious, and it's time for all of us to come clean. I turn to Jim and he silently nods his approval though I can see he's not happy about it. I don't blame him, I understand that we've just met these people a few minutes ago and that the only reference we have about them is the fact that they are Giles's friends... and even though he's my father I know we just met Giles less than a week ago.

I look at the people who are gathered around us and I see they are as comfortable with the idea of coming clean as we are, though they too seem to realize that it's inevitable. Their reaction is not surprising considering what we have seen so far. There's a girl who obviously has at least enhanced hearing and whose strength is also abnormal, a girl with a green glow and a guy who's walking around without a heartbeat as if it were the most natural thing in the world. This is going to be interesting. I turn to my father, knowing he's the one who's going to have to get this started. He is the only one who knows everything that's going on and he's the only one who is trusted by everyone here.

After cleaning his glasses for almost a full minute Giles starts talking, telling us about demons, slayers and vampires. I listen to his explanation and almost immediately I find myself questioning my father's sanity and wondering if his condition could possibly be hereditary. What he's saying goes against everything I've ever known and the scientist in me cannot bring himself to believe it, the only problem is that it makes sense. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't come up with a better explanation as to why Spike doesn't have a pulse than the fact that he's a vampire... and the fact is that Jim's hearing has confirmed that little tidbit. I have no choice but to acknowledge that, as farfetched as it sounds, what my father is saying also provides some sort of explanation for Buffy's strength and it accounts for her reaction when I mentioned the glow surrounding her sister. Sure, my whole world view is being turned upside down by that explanation, but whether I like it or not it fits the facts. In a last ditch attempt to hold on to my skepticism I turn to Jim. I know he is monitoring everyone's vital signs... well, except Spike's that is... and as I acknowledge that thought I realize that, in spite of myself, I do believe my father's words.

The funny thing is that when it gets to be my turn to tell our side of the story it's almost anticlimactic. For once we are accepted for what we are, no questions asked, no suspicions, no doubts. I guess for these people a shaman and a sentinel are not particularly extraordinary and that's a welcome change. Following Giles's example I don't go into too many details, I just give them the basic facts. There will be time for details later as we get to know each other but at least now all secrets are out of the way, and I know things will be fine just as soon as I can get a little time to process everything I've been told.

The truth is that, whether I believe it or not, I'm not entirely comfortable with what I've just learned. Even though as a shaman who has been brought back from the dead and works with a sentinel every day I'm aware of some mystical forces, I still sometimes find myself trying to dismiss that aspect of my role. That has always been a problem for me, a source of conflict (though never to this point). I'm a shaman who was also trained as a scientist and because of that, I'm still struggling with the thought that, in addition to me and my sentinel, there's a vampire slayer, a vampire, a mystical Key, a former vengeance demon, a watcher, two witches and a carpenter gathered in this room. In fact the closest thing to a coherent thought I can come up with at this time is a single question: What on earth is a carpenter doing here?


	7. Chapter 7: Sibling Rivalry

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 7: Sibling Rivalry

There they are... **_again_**. Sitting at _our_ table in _our_ shop, researching with Giles and I don't like it. I know it's only for a few days and I know I should be happy for Giles but it's just not happening. It's not like they're not nice or anything like that, it's just that... I don't know. I guess maybe I'm kind of jealous. Everyone else seems just so taken with these two. Giles is drooling over the fact that he actually has a son. Willow and Tara just can't get over the fact that Blair's a shaman, though he doesn't talk much about it. Anya, well she just sees two really hot guys (and even I have to admit to that), but she has Xander so I don't really see the point. Blair has also managed to charm Dawn --who I now suspect has a major crush on him-- and in the meantime Xander has gotten quite attached to Jim, and the worst part is that I don't think the big guy minds. That leaves me... and Spike.

* * *

I can feel her glaring at me... **_again_**. I need to find a way to reach her but it's not going to be easy. I know she resents my presence here and I don't blame her, but I'm not sure she understands it herself. Of course, my father is quite oblivious to what's going on. He's a great guy and I know I got lucky, but the fact that he apparently attended the Watcher School of Parenting is a serious drawback here. I still can't believe some of the things he told me --and didn't tell me-- about how slayers are traditionally brought up. They are removed from their families and then they are raised by men who see them as nothing but tools and can get fired for loving them... charming. At any rate Giles is hurting her and he hasn't even noticed it. I've tried to drop some none-too-subtle hints but he's not getting them and I don't know him well enough to be more open about it, which means that if something's going to be done about this situation, I'll probably have to do it myself. 

I think part of the problem is that everyone here is just so used to her being strong that they don't even notice when she's hurting and that's just as true of my father as of everyone else. I mean, she's little more than a child, she just lost her mother and at almost the exact same time the guy who has taken on the role of her father figure shows up with a newly discovered son... of course she's going to resent that. I wish I could find a way to let her know that I want to help her, not hurt her but it's not going to be easy. She's just too defensive and she sees me as the enemy. And to make matters worse there's the fact that sometimes I feel like we are speaking in two entirely different languages... or at least two different **_body_** languages.

Having been brought up by Naomi I'm used to touching people... a lot. I realized from the first time I met him that my father is anything but a touchy-feely kind of guy, in fact it's like he's desperately trying to hold something back, but I haven't been able to figure out what. The thing is that while Giles is kind and loving in his own way, and probably wouldn't hesitate to kill anything that threatened his 'children', I think I was touched more by Simon in the first week after I met him than I've been by my father in these past few days... and back then Simon could barely tolerate me. Add to that the fact that Giles's attitude seems to have spread and now it's like these people can't even conceive the possibility of touching each other unless it's under the most extreme circumstances or in a sexual context, and that's something I'm having a hard time adjusting to.

I know that's probably my problem, but it kind of bothers me, especially when it comes to Buffy. I have noticed that some of her abilities may be described almost as sentinel-like --though her senses are nowhere near as acute as Jim's and she's not prone to zone-outs-- and the whole environment we've encountered here is surprisingly sentinel-friendly, which leads me to believe that there may well be a number of other similarities between sentinels and slayers, in fact Giles describes them both as champions. I don't know how deep those similarities run but I do know that Jim often relies on his sense of touch to keep himself grounded and I suspect Buffy may have the same need only there's no one here to touch her, at least not now. I don't know how things were while her mother was still alive but I assume it wasn't nearly as bad, and I don't know how she's going to cope with it in the long run.

OK, so maybe I'm overreacting here and trying to rationalize my concerns into something tangible, but I do feel the need to come up with some sort of plan, something that will allow me to get close to her. I remember being where she is, resenting some of my mother's boyfriends --or their children-- a couple of times, and as awful as that was at least I had the comfort of knowing that they wouldn't be around for long. Our situation is different because I do intend to stay a part of my father's life, I just don't want her to be miserable because of it. Besides I always wanted a little sister, someone I could look after and she definitely seems to need a big brother... of course the fact that she can kick my ass with both hands tied behind her back would seem to contradict the whole notion of her needing a protector but still...

I think that's where the problem lies. Deep down she **_does_** need a protector but neither she nor those around her are willing to see it. They trust her to keep them safe and because of that she is terrified of revealing anything that might be perceived as a weakness. She is their first line of defense when it comes to keeping the monsters at bay, but sometimes they lose sight of who she is... especially my father. Yes, she's a warrior but she is also a girl who has seen more horrors than most people can even imagine. Of course, I know I'm not being fair... they have all shared those horrors, but even with their help in the end fighting them remains ultimately her duty, her responsibility... and while she can fight the monsters I'm not sure she's strong enough to fight her own demons.

I go over everything I've been told about Buffy in my mind, grateful for some of Willow's babbling, looking for some common ground, something we can share that can possibly allow me to bridge the gap between us and breach her defenses. Whatever it is it's going to have to be big, but it can't be related to my father. It has to be something important that she can't share with her friends, and seeing how close they are that's going to be difficult. It takes me a while but then I find it.

I think I have found the common thread and maybe, just maybe, it will be enough... now I only have to find a way to bring it up.


	8. Chapter 8: Drowning Sorrows

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 8: Drowning Sorrows

"Buffy, could I ask you something?"

"Depends. Are you willing to take 'NO' for an answer?"

"Yes, but I'd rather ask you than someone else."

"Not much of a choice then, is it?"

"I promise, it has nothing to do with Giles."

"Why don't you just call him 'dad'?"

"'Cause I just met him... don't get me started on the whole what to call him thing. The mere idea of having a father still feels beyond weird."

"You got lucky."

"I know."

"You promised it wasn't about him."

"You brought it up. It really isn't. I'm just curious about the fact that you are the Slayer."

"And you finally found the nerve to ask?"

"Sort of."

"So what do you want to know?"

"Well, I know the general story, the facts, but I want to know what it's like for you."

"Why?"

"Just curious."

"I guess I'm sort of OK with it now."

"But you weren't before?"

"Not really. I mean, at first I just wanted to go back to my old life, you know? The one in which my parents were still together and I actually had a future."

"What do you mean 'had a future'?"

"Well, let's face it, one of the many perks of being the Slayer is the pretty much guaranteed extra-short life span. Not much I can do about it. Now I've pretty much gotten used to the idea --and the fact that I'm one of the oldest Slayers on record helps, at least a little-- but back then it was pretty awful. I don't think any sixteen year old girl wants to hear that there's a prophecy foretelling her death, you know?"

"Prophecy?"

"Yeah, this old book said that I was going to die and there wasn't a thing I could do about it. I wanted to run, leave everything behind, but I couldn't. Not without allowing others to die... or at least that's what we thought at the time. The funny thing is that if I had run away the whole thing could have been prevented. That's kind of why I really don't like prophecies."

"But you didn't die."

"Yes I did. I was bitten and drowned. It was enough to call the next Slayer, but that's a whole different mess."

"Drowning is so not a nice way to go."

"Tell me about it... the burning in your lungs as you try **_not_** to breathe until you can't take it any more and you gasp for air only to have your lungs fill up with water... and the cold."

"I know, and the pain and that moment in which you realize that your body is shutting down and you know that it is the end."

"Yes... wait... how do you know?"

"Long story."

"Try the short version."

"Why?"

"You drowned?"

"Yes."

"You drowned or you were drowned?"

"I was drowned. Psycho bitch from hell. You?"

"Master vampire trying to break free. How did you manage to make it?"

"Jim. Official version is CPR."

"Xander. What do you mean official version?"

"Believe me when I tell you that you don't want to go there."

"Try me."

"Weird forest, animal spirits merging and a flash of light. It's not like I understand it myself."

"Animal spirits?"

"Yups, a grey wolf and a black jaguar."

"And here I had the idea that cats and dogs don't mix."

"Sometimes they get along."

"So, why did the psycho bitch from hell want you dead?"

"Sentinel, wanted a Guide. I already had a Sentinel and she figured if she couldn't have me no one else would... I guess. Maybe it was just 'cause she was crazy. What's the story of your master vampire?"

"Got stuck trying to open the hellmouth, needed a Slayer's blood to break free and that damn prophecy took me straight to him. He got out, we fought, he got dusted. End of story... or at least it should have been only some of his followers wanted to bring him back."

"Ouch."

"No, that would be CPR."

"Agreed."

"How many ribs?"

"Two, you?"

"Not sure. I hate hospitals but I suspect a couple."

"How did you manage to avoid the hospital after you had died?"

"Slayer healing, plus my mom didn't find out about what happened until over a year later."

"Mine never heard about it, period. She would have freaked."

"How could she **_not_** know?"

"Well, she's usually not around when I need her. I may be a detective but I still have a hard time trying to track her down. She wasn't there at the time and then I just didn't see the point in telling her."

"Makes sense. My mom didn't even know I was the Slayer at the time."

"How did she find out?"

"Saw me dust a vampire, then kicked me out of the house."

"That must have been rough."

"Yes, well, I couldn't really afford to stick around and debate the issue with her at the time. Giles was being tortured and I couldn't just leave him there."

"What do you mean Giles was being tortured?"

"Nothing."

"Buffy..."

"I don't want to talk about it. It's over, he made it. You have your father, now can you just drop it!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean..."

"It's OK. It's just that I'd rather just forget about that."

"I understand."

"No you don't."

"I'd like to."

"You can't. No one can."

"That bad?"

"Yes."

"Wanna try me?"

"No."

"OK."

"Why are you being nice to me?"

"Why shouldn't I be nice to you?"

"That's not an answer."

"Then come up with a better question."

"Like what?"

"That's up to you."

"You're weird, you know?"

"I get that a lot."

"I can imagine, so your mom's not around much?"

"I think that could probably qualify for the title of 'Understatement of the Year'. I've been pretty much on my own since I was admitted to college when I was sixteen, and it's not like she was around most of the time before that either, but things turned out fine in the end."

"At least you've got Jim."

"And you've got Giles."


	9. Chapter 9: Parts of a Whole

**_For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1_**

Chapter 9: Parts of a Whole

I know I'm being petty, and I'm trying my best to keep him from noticing, but he's too observant and he knows me too well. I'm happy for him, I really am, it's just that he is my Guide... and he should know by now that Sentinels are territorial. I can't help it. Even though I know how long he's been wondering about his father --and while I'm glad that they found each other and I really like Giles-- well, he's **_my_** Guide only suddenly he has all these people around him and now that we are back in Cascade I can't help but wonder where I fit in.

I saw him when we were in Sunnydale, how hard he tried to be accepted by all of them, especially by Buffy... the way he opened up in order to reach her. What he did with her was nothing short of amazing. It not only helped to remind me of what he can do when he sets his mind to something but it also managed to shock his father.

If I had known just what Blair had in mind when he asked me to get Giles out of the room so that he could have a little talk with Buffy I might have handled things differently. If I had known I might have given them more privacy. I would have at least made sure that we were out of earshot rather than just out of sight, but I didn't know and I was still uneasy about leaving him alone with her so we stayed close... close enough for both of us to hear what was being said. Needless to say that neither one of us was particularly comfortable with Blair's chosen approach. I think I enjoyed being reminded of his drowning just about as much as Giles enjoyed being reminded of Buffy's... and then I had to answer the man's questions. I can't imagine what it must have been like for him to realize that both of his children had been murdered in a similar fashion, even if both of them had managed to survive the experience... and Buffy is as much his daughter as Blair is his son. That's one of the most important lessons Blair ever taught me: blood is not the only thing that can define a family.

That should be reassuring, but somehow it's not. I know they accepted both of us, not just him, but I still sometimes felt like an outsider... or maybe I didn't so much feel like an outsider as I felt left out. Ever since we met Blair and I have become each other's family. Sure we have Naomi's unpredictable visits and we hear from my dad and Steven a couple of times a year like clockwork, but none of those people represents a constant presence in our lives and I can see just how bad Blair wants Giles to be different.

The differences between father and son are obvious, from their looks, to their choice of clothes, to their attitudes and even their approach to life and yet they are remarkably similar. I guess nowhere was that more obvious than when they were talking to each other... I'm not sure they even realized it but I was amazed by it.

Ever since the dissertation fiasco I've been blaming myself for what Blair lost, not just in terms of his career but also when it comes to his interaction with his former colleagues. In a sense I felt like Blair had been forced to dumb himself down in order to become a detective. Oh, he still uses that brain of his as a weapon better than anyone I've ever met and he is capable of making the most incredible connections when it comes to piecing things together, but sometimes it's almost painful to see him struggling to explain his theories. I can see how hard it is for him to keep up with the steps of his own reasoning. He goes from A to C with barely a passing reference to B, and even though I've gotten used to keeping up with him, the others haven't. I admit I rarely took an interest in his life at Rainier other than when it came to how the now infamous dissertation was going to impact my life but by the handful of glimpses I got I assumed that was not a problem for him in his academic world. I was wrong. In spite of his former colleagues' fancy words and arrogant attitudes he was still forced to dumb himself down at Rainier even if I couldn't see it. I discovered my mistake when I saw him exchanging theories with Giles. They were equals and for once they were both letting loose, neither one of them worried that the other wouldn't be able to follow. It was beautiful to see him like that... and almost scary.

I guess that's the problem. I'm no longer his Holy Grail, I'm just his partner and he has a family now. A family that can give him what I can't. I'm happy for him, I really am, but he's my Guide and I don't want to lose him.

And then I feel Blair come behind me, I feel his hand on my shoulder and I hear him say: "He may be my father, they may be my family but the two of us are parts of a whole." I'm not even surprised that he seems to know what I'm thinking, I just trust him and relax, allowing myself to believe that everything will turn out all right.

**_THE END... for now_**(to be continued in _'A Watcher's Son-Out of Heaven'_, which will be posted on Wednesday)


End file.
